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During the late 19th Century there were two distinct and separate families named Tuke. To confuse matters even further both Tuke families were engaged in the same profession namely the humane treatment of the insane. The two families were friends and often collaborated in their endeavours to promote new treatments and methods of non-restraint. Thomas Harrington Tuke gave frequent lectures and talks at the Hanwell asylum supervised by his friend and namesake Daniel Hack-Tuke
Thomas Harrington Tuke ran an asylum at the Manor House in Chiswick. He was married to Sophia Connoly the daughter of John Connoly a pioneer in non-restaint methods and who ran a similar establishment in nearby Hanwell. Connoly had died in 1866 and in 1875 he was eventually succeeded by Daniel Hack-Tuke of the Quaker family who had first introduced non restraint into their own establishment in York. Daniel Hack-Tuke had two sons. One, Henry Scott Tuke became a painter of some repute specialising in paintings of young naked boys.
Thomas Harrington Tuke died in the summer of 1888 and passed control of the Chiswick asylum to his eldest son Thomas Seymour Tuke who ran it together with his two brothers and a locum, Doctor Cobbold. It was Thomas Tuke who nursed Ann Druitt during her final days which were spent st the Chiswick asylum. He also failed to mention, in Ann Druitts case notes that her own son had committed suicide just eighteen months earlier virtually on the doorstep of his asylum whereas he did see fit to mention other instances of suicide, and attempted suicide within Anns own family as pertinent facts. Ann Druitts death certificate was signed by Thomas Tuke and Dr Cobbold
Montague Druitt and Thomas Tuke had both attended Oxford University at the same time and both shared a keen interest in Cricket with Montague playing for the University team. In fact Dr Tuke, Dr Cobbold and Druit all played cricket for the same team the ‘Incogniti’
Druitts death is dated the 4th December just 5 days after purchasing a return ticket to nearby Hammersmith a short walk from the Chiswick asylum.
During those last days Montague would have ‘resided’ somewhere. William Druitt, Montagues brother, decision in 1890 to send Ann into the care of the Tukes asylum, close to the very spot where her own Son had apparently taken his life strongly suggests that there was a connection between the Druitt family and the Tuke family. The Tuke asylum may even be the ‘asylum’ referred to in George Sims et al contention tin which Druitt had been confined. Dr W. Cobbold, employed as a locum at the Tuke asylum,and a signatory to Ann Druitts case notes played cricket for the ‘incogniti’ a team in which Druitt and the Tuke brothers also played.
This would also explain how Montagues badly decomposed corpse was identified so quickly. It should be remembered that the policeman who searched the body told the inquest that there were no papers or letters of any kind found on the body.The place where he had resided was not Valentines school at all. It was where he had resided for the last few days of his life almost certainly the Manor House Asylum. These may well have been the friends who according to MacNaghten had entertained grave doubts as to Druitts sanity. There is some evidence which suggests that this possibility is very real.
The Red House museum of local history in Christchurch Dorset boast among its exhibits a painting by Henry Scott Tuke son of Daniel Hack Tuke and a friend and contemporary of Thomas Seymour Tuke. Interestingly the Red House museum, a former workhouse built in the 18th Century was gifted to the borough of Christchurch by no less than the Druitt family. .But just recently yet another fascinating piece of information surfaced.
In issue 165 of ‘Ripperologist’ writer David Barrat presented an article about the many letters which had been received by Scotland Yard at the time of the Ripper murders. None of the letters have survived but luckily a list of those who had sent information in to Scotland Yard had been made before the letters were routinely destroyed, the list comprises of 227 entries. As I went through the list one name jumped off the page. Letter 131 on the list was sent to Scotland Yard on the 24th November 1888. All we do know about this letter is that it offered suggestions re: the Whitechapel murder. The writer of the letter was Henry Scott Tuke the son of Daniel Hack-Tuke of the Hanwell asylum and friend of Dr Thomas Seymour Tuke. Less than one week after this letter was received George Sims wrote in his newspaper column published on the 2nd December, two days before Montagues death that Commissioner Monro was on to someone.
On 5 April 1903, and again in ‘The Referee’, Sims wrote that:
. . . the body of the man suspected by the chiefs at the Yard, and by his own friends,
who were in communication with the Yard, was found in the Thames. The body had been in the water for about a month . . . ‘Jack the Ripper’ was known, was identified, and is dead. Let him rest.
Was Henry Scott Tuke the man who denounced Druitt?
Thomas Harrington Tuke ran an asylum at the Manor House in Chiswick. He was married to Sophia Connoly the daughter of John Connoly a pioneer in non-restaint methods and who ran a similar establishment in nearby Hanwell. Connoly had died in 1866 and in 1875 he was eventually succeeded by Daniel Hack-Tuke of the Quaker family who had first introduced non restraint into their own establishment in York. Daniel Hack-Tuke had two sons. One, Henry Scott Tuke became a painter of some repute specialising in paintings of young naked boys.
Thomas Harrington Tuke died in the summer of 1888 and passed control of the Chiswick asylum to his eldest son Thomas Seymour Tuke who ran it together with his two brothers and a locum, Doctor Cobbold. It was Thomas Tuke who nursed Ann Druitt during her final days which were spent st the Chiswick asylum. He also failed to mention, in Ann Druitts case notes that her own son had committed suicide just eighteen months earlier virtually on the doorstep of his asylum whereas he did see fit to mention other instances of suicide, and attempted suicide within Anns own family as pertinent facts. Ann Druitts death certificate was signed by Thomas Tuke and Dr Cobbold
Montague Druitt and Thomas Tuke had both attended Oxford University at the same time and both shared a keen interest in Cricket with Montague playing for the University team. In fact Dr Tuke, Dr Cobbold and Druit all played cricket for the same team the ‘Incogniti’
Druitts death is dated the 4th December just 5 days after purchasing a return ticket to nearby Hammersmith a short walk from the Chiswick asylum.
During those last days Montague would have ‘resided’ somewhere. William Druitt, Montagues brother, decision in 1890 to send Ann into the care of the Tukes asylum, close to the very spot where her own Son had apparently taken his life strongly suggests that there was a connection between the Druitt family and the Tuke family. The Tuke asylum may even be the ‘asylum’ referred to in George Sims et al contention tin which Druitt had been confined. Dr W. Cobbold, employed as a locum at the Tuke asylum,and a signatory to Ann Druitts case notes played cricket for the ‘incogniti’ a team in which Druitt and the Tuke brothers also played.
This would also explain how Montagues badly decomposed corpse was identified so quickly. It should be remembered that the policeman who searched the body told the inquest that there were no papers or letters of any kind found on the body.The place where he had resided was not Valentines school at all. It was where he had resided for the last few days of his life almost certainly the Manor House Asylum. These may well have been the friends who according to MacNaghten had entertained grave doubts as to Druitts sanity. There is some evidence which suggests that this possibility is very real.
The Red House museum of local history in Christchurch Dorset boast among its exhibits a painting by Henry Scott Tuke son of Daniel Hack Tuke and a friend and contemporary of Thomas Seymour Tuke. Interestingly the Red House museum, a former workhouse built in the 18th Century was gifted to the borough of Christchurch by no less than the Druitt family. .But just recently yet another fascinating piece of information surfaced.
In issue 165 of ‘Ripperologist’ writer David Barrat presented an article about the many letters which had been received by Scotland Yard at the time of the Ripper murders. None of the letters have survived but luckily a list of those who had sent information in to Scotland Yard had been made before the letters were routinely destroyed, the list comprises of 227 entries. As I went through the list one name jumped off the page. Letter 131 on the list was sent to Scotland Yard on the 24th November 1888. All we do know about this letter is that it offered suggestions re: the Whitechapel murder. The writer of the letter was Henry Scott Tuke the son of Daniel Hack-Tuke of the Hanwell asylum and friend of Dr Thomas Seymour Tuke. Less than one week after this letter was received George Sims wrote in his newspaper column published on the 2nd December, two days before Montagues death that Commissioner Monro was on to someone.
On 5 April 1903, and again in ‘The Referee’, Sims wrote that:
. . . the body of the man suspected by the chiefs at the Yard, and by his own friends,
who were in communication with the Yard, was found in the Thames. The body had been in the water for about a month . . . ‘Jack the Ripper’ was known, was identified, and is dead. Let him rest.
Was Henry Scott Tuke the man who denounced Druitt?
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